California pictures

Let's Wild Weekly Photo Challenge: Green grass

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green

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For a nature photographer like me, green is a beautiful color, indicating vibrant life around me. Unfortunately living in Southern California means green is actually not a common sight. Any plant or grass growing in the winter starts green, only to turn yellow or brown by the time the summer sun starts its baking process. I’m lucky enough to live right by the San Diego River, which is heavily surrounded by poplars and their pretty green leaves. They’re turning yellow right now, and they’re just as pretty.

Remember you can click on most of the photos below to see a larger view of this WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green.

Here are a few examples of green I’ve encountered in Southern California. I’ll start with my very favorite, which I captured at Dos Picos State Park last spring. This green hue was so surreal, I felt I had just walked into a secret fairyland. I can’t wait to go back there next spring and hope to see similar sights. If you’re wondering what the purple blooms are in the back, it’s Ramona lilac. They make beautiful clusters of flowers, but alas no scent.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Green grass at Dos Picos State Park — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green grass at Dos Picos State Park

I love the green lush surrounding this Stellar Jay bird, making its blue feathers stand out even more.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Green makes the blue of this Stellar Jay bird stand out — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green makes the blue of this Stellar Jay bird stand out

Finally, you can find a lot of green in Southern California if you look by a source of water. Here are a few green plants, including ferns, that love water and shade. I took this photo in the small mountain town of Idyllwild, California, by Strawberry Creek, this past summer.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Green lush by Strawberry Creek in Idyllwild, California — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green lush by Strawberry Creek in Idyllwild, California

Pink water lily and lily pads at the pond in Balboa Park, San Diego

Did you like the original water lilies? There’s more where it came from

Do you remember the photo of the water lilies I took at San Diego’s Balboa Park? The one I used for the month of August in my 2013 photo calendar? Well, I went back to my memory card and looked if there were more photos good enough to share. I found a few, so here we go.

Remember to click on each photo for a larger view.

Here’s the whole patch where my water lilies came from. I like capturing reflections in the water. Unfortunately it’s not always easy to find a good angle to photograph the water lilies from to get their best shot, as well as an interesting building reflection, so it can be tricky. I think this photo came out OK.

Water lilies at Balboa Park in San Diego

Here’s the photo of the three pink water lilies on the right, the one I used in the calendar.

Pink water lilies at San Diego's Balboa Park — Pink water lilies at San Diego’s Balboa Park

And here’s a photo of the single water lily closer to the front of the first picture.

This pond at Balboa Park also displays white water lilies but I think pink beats white any day when it comes to standing out on the green lily pads. What do you think?

November 13, 2012February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Bloom Photos, California Photos, Flower PhotosTags: Balboa Park, Balboa Park San Diego, blooms, California pictures, lily pads, lilypads, photography, photos, photos of blooms, photos of flowers, pink flowers, pink water lillies, pond, pond reflections, San Diego, San Diego Balboa Park, water lilies, water lily, water lily reflections 7 Comments

Zazzle coupon code for 50% off my photo calendar – today only!

My 2013 12-month photo calendar is now available for sale on my Zazzle online store. Carrie at The Write Transition was my first ~~guinea pig~~ most appreciated customer to purchase a few of them and they arrived in her mailbox just a few days later.

Today only, Veteran’s Day, use code: 50VETDAYSALE at checkout and get my calendar for 50% off! You can also get 40% off my ornaments and 15% off on most other products. Visit my Zazzle store now.

If you’re looking to make a nice and unique gift to someone for the holidays, you’ll want to take a closer look. You can view every photo that makes up this 2013 photo calendar here.

I also sell a number of other products, including posters, mousepads, phone and Kindle cases, and coasters, so go over to check it out. This is the link for anyone located in the USA and wanted to ship any of my products within the US. If you live outside of the US, you can still view and purchase from my store by clicking on your country flag below.

Thank you for your support!

November 12, 2012February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: California Photos, Photography, Photos of San DiegoTags: 2013 calendar, 2013 calendar coupon code, 2013 calendar discount, 2013 photo calendar, California pictures, photography, photos, San Diego, zazzle calendar Leave a comment

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: moon at the horizon

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Renewal

Remember you can click on each photo below to see a larger view of it.

I find it interesting, not to say awkward, to choose “renewal” as a theme in November, when everything in nature is dying or falling asleep. So most of the photos I’m displaying here were taken at another time of the year.

Well, expect for this first one, which I took last fall after a rainstorm. The clouds were still quite grey but the sun rays did their best to light up the golden leaves of the poplars that live by the San Diego River. I love to watch the rain do its magic as it revives and replenishes the trees that have been thirsty for so long, giving them one last burst of energy before they go to sleep for the winter.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Renewal - after the rain — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Renewal – after the rain

The WordPress person who wrote the post on this weekly photo challenge suggested us to stay away from the stereotypical renewal of sunrises. Well, I love sunrises and they are inherently a sign of daily renewal. But I like moon rises just as much, especially when they happen in the daylight. They remind us that day and night work together to bring constant renewal to the earth.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Renewal - moon rising over trees — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Renewal – moon rising over trees

I used the photo below for another photo challenge theme but I think it fits this one perfectly. This is a small pine tree growing out of the root of a seemingly dead tree. Nature knows best how to renew.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Renewal - new tree grows out of a dead tree — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Renewal – new tree grows out of a dead tree

Finally, nothing screams renewal more than brand new flowers in the spring. In this case, these are California wildflowers, which are also featured in my 2013 photo calendar.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Renewal - California wildflowers — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Renewal – California wildflowers

What is your idea of renewal?

November 10, 2012February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Bloom Photos, California Photos, Flower Photos, Forest Photos, Photography, Photos of San Diego, Sky Photos, Tree PhotosTags: California pictures, California wild flowers, california wildflowers, moon photos, moon rise, moon rising over trees, moonrise, photo of the moon, photography, photos, photos of blooms, photos of flowers, photos of trees, pine tree photo, poplar tree photos, San Diego River, Wordpress weekly photo challenge, Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Renewal 16 Comments

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Home - changing seasons in San Diego

Enjoy more fall foliage with this American sweetgum

Besides the palm trees, the California sage brush and the many eucalyptus trees around San Diego County, you sometimes have to look a little harder to find some colorful fall foliage. I went back to check on my sumac trees this past weekend and I’ll have a few photos to share soon, but they’re not as yellow and orange as they should be yet. We also have a few maple trees here and there and I need to hurry snapping photos of them before they all lose their leaves.

But today, I’d like to share a few photos of another colorful tree in the fall in San Diego: the American sweetgum, or Liquidambar Styraciflua. My kids were attempting to dig a huge hole in the sand next to me as I was snapping pictures of this tree so I shortened my photo session. I’ll need to go back to get some more photos but here are a few for your enjoyment.

The American sweetgum has gorgeous deep red / maroon leaves and very cute green spiky seed pods. Remember you can click on each photo to view a larger image.